Parliamentary Scrutiny: EU Legislation

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Leader of the House what plans she has to review the procedures for scrutiny of secondary legislation emanating from EU directives.

Helen Goodman: Secondary legislation arising from the implementation of EU directives is subject to the range of scrutiny processes to which all other secondary legislation is submitted, including examination by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments and by other select committees of each House, and to approval in Parliament under the process laid down in the relevant primary legislation. Any secondary legislation implementing EU directives is subject to an additional requirement that it should be accompanied by a Transposition Note setting out how the relevant legislation is being transposed into UK law. There are no plans for a review.

Angling: Licensing

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the percentage increase was in the cost of a fishing licence for an  (a) adult and  (b) old age pensioner in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 28 April 2008
	The rod licence year starts on 1 April. Concessionary rates of rod licence duty do not apply to old age pensioners as a class, but rather to persons over the age of 65, Blue Badge holders and people in receipt of a disability living allowance.
	The Environment Agency is under no legal obligation to offer rod licences to any class of persons at concessionary duty rates. Also concessionary rates are offered not because of an inability to pay, but to reflect reduced opportunities for angling available to those who are disabled or infirm.
	Both the Agency and I recognise that the increase in concessionary duty rates for this year is significant. The Agency has publicly stated that it will use a significant proportion of the monies raised by the higher duty rates to improve access to angling for the disabled and senior anglers. I welcome this and will seek evidence from the Agency that it has honoured that commitment.
	The percentage increase in rod licence duties between 2007-08 and 2008-09 for annual licences at full and concessionary rates is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   2007-08  (£)  2008-09  (£)  Percentage increase 
			  Salmon and sea trout
			 Full 66.50 68.00 2 
			 Concessionary 33.25 45.00 35 
			 
			  Non migratory trout and coarse fish
			 Full 24.50 25.00 2 
			 Concessionary 12.25 16.75 37

Departmental Civil Service Agencies

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to adopt a 15 year contract to cover the outsourcing of facilities management functions in his Department.

Jonathan R Shaw: If tender returns from the market support the cost benefit analysis and value for money can be achieved, a 15 year contract is under consideration.

Departmental Civil Service Agencies

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what savings are expected as part of his Department's outsourcing of its facilities management functions; and if he will publish the business case for the proposed outsourcing.

Jonathan R Shaw: The initial business evaluation reported a potential savings of 7.7 per cent. over the term of the contract.
	Responses from the first stage of engagement with the market, have confirmed that likely savings should be in the region of 6 to 10 per cent.
	We regret that publication of the business evaluation, at this time, would jeopardise the Department's commercial negotiations with the market.

Departmental Data Protection

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 120-21W, on departmental data protection, if he will include information assurance data on data loss incidents in previous years in his Department's next annual report.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179 and the written ministerial statement made my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 98WS. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within departments and agencies for the storage and use of data.
	The interim report of 17 December 2007 committed to put in place a programme to examine and improve data handling procedures. An update on this commitment will be included in the final report, expected in spring 2008, and this report will detail the information to be included by Departments on data loss in their annual reports.

Departmental Freedom of Information

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many freedom of information requests made to his Department were  (a) answered (i) within 20 days, (ii) within 40 days, (iii) within 60 days, (iv) after 60 days,  (b) not answered and  (c) answered citing an exemption in the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as a reason not to provide the requested information in each year since the Act came into force.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has published two annual reports containing statistical information on freedom of information requests received by monitored bodies (including central Government Departments) in 2005 and 2006. These reports can be found at the following address:
	http://www.dca.gov.uk/foi/reference/statisticsAndReports.htm
	The 2007 annual report is currently being drafted for publication in June 2008. However, statistics on requests received in each quarter of 2007 have been published and can be found via the MOJ website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/freedomofinformationquarterly.htm
	The Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires public bodies to respond to written requests within 20 working days of receipt, but allows additional time for the consideration of the public interest in disclosing the requested information.
	The published reports provide statistics on the number of "non-routine" requests received during each period where: an initial response was provided within 20 working days; an initial response was given outside this time but a public interest test extension had been applied; an initial response was given outside this time and no public interest test extension was applied, and where no initial response had been given at the time the statistics were collected.
	The 2006 annual report provides statistics on the duration of the public interest test extensions in that year. Corresponding statistics for 2007 will be available when the 2007 annual report is published.
	Information requests where deadlines were extended beyond 40 days is not collected in the form requested; however the proportion of resolvable requests the Department answered "in time" (ie meeting the deadline or with a permitted extension) in 2007 was 87 per cent.
	For 2005 and 2006, the reports show the number of requests received by the department which were withheld, either in full or in part, where an FOI exemption or EIR exception was applied. For 2007, the number of such requests was 77, based on aggregated quarterly statistics from 2007. Requests withheld solely under the exemption applicable to "information available by other means" are not included; statistics on these are not collected centrally because they are dealt with as routine business.

Departmental ICT

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Northavon of 28 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1855W, on departmental ICT, what estimate his Department has made of  (a) the projected cost of installing and implementing and  (b) the likely annual saving in energy costs from (i) VISTA's in-built group policy options to enforce a default switch to the VISTA sleep mode after a pre-set elapsed time of inactivity and (ii) the Nightwatchman technology.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 21 April 2008
	Further to our response to the hon. Member for Northavon (Steve Webb) of 28 February 2008, detailed in  Official Report, column 1855W, on departmental ICT we are now engaged in preparations to roll-out laptop VISTA devices with global pre-set power management settings.
	The installation and implementation of VISTA's power management tools are covered within the IT refresh that is currently being undertaken by IBM. Expenditure for the refresh is covered within the annual service charge paid to IBM, DEFRA's strategic IT partner. As such VISTA's power management tools are freely available for us to use and no significant extra expense has been incurred in using them to set up power management regimes across the Department.
	The power management settings will switch the laptops to 'hibernate' after a pre-defined period, in which mode the current desktop is copied to disk and deleted from memory. This mode draws no current effectively switching off the PC, compared with 'sleep' mode that draws current to maintain the in use desktop in memory.
	We are also ensuring in the same VISTA settings that monitors are similarly switched back to their standby power saving mode. In parallel we are increasing ad hoc inspections by our security guards who will be labelling devices found left switched on.
	A recent security guard survey indicated some 600 devices were left switched on across the main buildings on the London estate. Assuming these would all be desktops with flat screen monitors in idle mode (we do not allow active screensavers) with a combined power consumption of 53w (determined from recent power monitoring exercise) and that these devices were all left on every night and every weekend throughout the year, we are wasting some 200MwH per annum. Assuming 0.09p per KwH equates to a potential saving of nearly £20,000.
	As stated in the previous response, we are taking no further action in the implementation of Nightwatchman or any other power management software until we have assessed the outcome of our VISTA rollout and the savings that the power management settings bring on energy consumed by the Department's main offices.

Departmental Redundancy

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people were made redundant in his Department in each of the last three years; and how much was paid in redundancy compensation in each such year.

Jonathan R Shaw: This Department's 2007-08 voluntary early departure scheme is not a multi-annual scheme but was open for applications between September 2007 and January 2008 with provision set aside in this financial year for any payments to retirees, consequent on their departure under this scheme, which might fall in future years. It immediately followed a previous voluntary early departure scheme which ran from December 2006 to July 2007. We do have some records for 2005-06, however these are not as detailed as those for the last two years. So it is not possible to provide precise figures for this period.
	During financial years 2006-07 and 2007-08 a total of 751 people took up the option of voluntary early retirement or severance (133 in 2006-07 and 618 in 2007-08). The estimated cost to the Department for these two periods has been £14.8 million and £49 million, respectively, on the funding of voluntary early departures under either scheme. There are currently no plans to launch further voluntary early departure schemes.
	In RPA the estimated costs during the financial year 2006-07 was a credit of £74,000, which was due to a reduction in the provision for exit costs and was made up of five people. This was as a result of some staff from 2005-06 withdrawing from their arrangements. In 2007-08 14 staff left on the early departures scheme, with an estimated cost of £1,062,000.

Press

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many press office staff were employed by  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies (i) in each year since 1996-97 and (ii) at the latest date for which information is available.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA was established in 2001. The number of press officers in core DEFRA is tabulated as follows, with the census point for the number of press officers, taken as June for each year. The staffing numbers for the press office fluctuate during the course of any one year.
	The following figures exclude numbers for ancillary or support staff, numbers have varied, ranging from three to seven during the review period.
	
		
			  Staff numbers as at June  Press officers 
			 2001 22 
			 2002 22 
			 2003 22 
			 2004 18 
			 2005 24 
			 2006 24 
			 2007 20 
		
	
	The DEFRA press office provides services for the Central Science Laboratory, Government Decontamination Service, Marine and Fisheries Agency, Veterinary Laboratory Agency, and Veterinary Medicines Directorate.
	The number of staff employed in the Press Offices of each of the remaining DEFRA agencies of CEFAS (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences) and the Rural Payments Agency, in each year since 2001 is tabulated as follows, with the number of ancillary support staff in brackets (the RPA did not have any ancillary staff associated with the press office).
	
		
			   Agency 
			   CEFAS  RPA 
			 2001 0.02 0.2 
			 2002 0.03 0.2 
			 2003 0.03 0.2 
			 2004 0.68 0.2 
			 2005 1.0 (0.16) 0.2 
			 2006 1.0 (0.24) 1.0 
			 2007 1.0 2.0 
		
	
	In addition to support from the DEFRA press office, Animal Health (formerly the State Veterinary Service) employs a head of communications and an external communications manager.
	The "White Book" of contacts in government departments and agencies contains listings for DEFRA and is updated twice yearly.

A12

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the current programme of A12 improvements will be completed in Essex; and what plans there are for a further programme of improvements to the A12 in Essex to provide for  (a) better safety and  (b) increased capacity.

Tom Harris: The A12/M25 Brook Street Interchange was opened on 10 March 2008, Major maintenance schemes are currently programmed to be undertaken at Kelvedon in 2008-09 and at Witham to Hatfield Peverel in 2009-10.
	Future major improvements of safety and capacity to the A12 are dependent on schemes being prioritised for funding by the East of England from its Regional Funding Allocation for major transport schemes, or from other sources.

A12: Accidents

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents there have been on the A12 and at junctions on the A12 in Essex which have resulted in serious injury or death over the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available; and how many people were  (a) seriously injured and  (b) died as a result of these incidents.

Tom Harris: The following table shows the number of people killed and seriously injured on the A12 in Essex over the past five calendar years. The Highways Agency does not currently hold any full accident figures for 2008.
	
		
			  Accidents A12 Essex 
			   Fatal  Seriously injured 
			 2003 4 39 
			 2004 4 65 
			 2005 6 58 
			 2006 5 41 
			 2007 4 24 
			 Total 23 227

Asphalt

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the level of carbon dioxide emissions per metric tonne of road-quality asphalt from  (a) all stages of its manufacture for use on roads and  (b) the process of laying onto road surfaces in the latest period for which figures are available; and what assumptions are made in each calculation.

Rosie Winterton: No specific estimate has been made of the levels of carbon dioxide emissions associated with the asphalt used for roads. The Highways Agency is developing a whole life value assessment tool for highway pavements which will include carbon dioxide emission calculations. It plans to implement this tool as part of its Sustainable Development Action Plan. We have asked the UK Roads Liaison Group to consider what further research and advice will be helpful to local authorities.

Bus Services

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she has taken to prevent bus companies changing their services to create more journeys within the national concessionary bus fare scheme process for remuneration per journey.

Rosie Winterton: The main principle which applies to reimbursement is that bus operators should be financially no better and no worse off as a result of taking part in concessionary travel schemes. Reimbursement paid to bus operators takes two forms: revenue foregone and additional costs.
	Revenue foregone is reimbursement of the fares operators would have received for existing passengers now travelling free. Here reimbursement is not based on the full commercial adult fare as, in the absence of a concession, discounted fares would be available at off-peak times.
	Additional costs are those associated with carrying people who are only travelling because of the concession. The operator only receives a payment to cover the marginal additional costs of carrying these extra passengers.
	As such, any rise in patronage as a result of the concession should be revenue neutral to operators.

Bus Services: Concessions

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of national concessionary bus fares scheme passes applied for have been issued; and what percentage of the eligible population have applied for such passes.

Rosie Winterton: Responsibility for producing and issuing passes for the England wide bus concession lies with local Travel Concession Authorities (mainly District Councils, non-metropolitan Unitaries and the Passenger Transport Executives). As such the Department for Transport does not hold information on the number of applications received. We do, however, have an estimate of the number of passes that suppliers expected to have to produce for local authorities in England outside London.
	By 1 April 2008, suppliers had produced 95 per cent. of the passes they expected to have to produce and had sent out over 80 per cent. to concessionaires. By 8 April, this had increased to 99 per cent. produced and sent out.
	In respect of eligibility, we estimate that around 11 million people in England are eligible for concessionary travel passes. By 8 April, around 6 million people outside London had applied for and received a new pass.
	In London, concessionaires who already have a pass do not need a new one, but need to have their existing pass re-stickered to show that they are eligible for the new England wide concession. Around 800,000 people in London have had their passes re-stickered or (if they are a new applicant) received a new pass.

Cycling: Children

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government have taken to encourage children to practise safe cycling.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 1 May 2008
	I announced on 17 March that we would be making funding of over £3 million available to local authorities to train nearly 80,000 schoolchildren to the Bikeability standard in 2008-09. This is in addition to the 46,000 children for whom we have already funded training via local authorities and School Sports Partnerships.
	Some of the local authorities receiving funding in 2008-09 are also investing their own money in Bikeability standard training to train a further 29,000 more children. Other local authorities also provide Bikeability standard training as part of their normal programme without any DFT grant.
	We will make further funds available for cycle training in 2009-10 and 2010-11 to help meet our objective of providing cycle training for 500,000 children by 2012.
	We have also invested £18.4 million in Links to Schools which extends the National Cycle Network (NCN) from residential areas to schools. We have provided these routes to over 600 schools which encourages pupils to cycle to school by improving their safety. Further funds will be made available to achieve our aim of providing Links to Schools to 500 more schools by 2011.
	The Highway Code and Arrive Alive, the Highway Code for Young Road Users both give advice to child cyclists on the wearing of safety equipment such as cycle helmets and light-coloured or fluorescent clothing which makes them easier to see at night or in poor daylight by other road users.

M1: Road Works

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects the roadworks between junctions 6 and 10 of the M1 motorway to be completed; and when she expects all lanes on this part of the road to be open.

Tom Harris: Work on M1 junction 6a to 10 widening is progressing well and the scheme is due for completion to programme in December 2008. The works are being constructed in two sections, section one from junction 10 to approximately 2.5 km south of junction 9; section 2 from 2.5 km south of junction 9 to junction 6a M25.
	Highways Agency opened section one to four lanes in both directions over the Mayday Bank holiday weekend, initially to 50 mph to trial motorway communications. The speed limit will be increased to the national limit, 70 mph, when commissioning of motorway communication equipment is complete. This is expected to be before the end of May.
	Section two will remain under traffic management until the end of the year when it is intended that both carriageways will be running four lanes in both directions in time for the Christmas and new year holidays.

M1: Whipsnade

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what  (a) cameras and  (b) other equipment are installed on the gantries recently erected in the vicinity of junction 9 of the M1 motorway; what purpose each piece of equipment serves; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: (a) There are currently no cameras mounted on gantries in the vicinity of M1 junction 9. Close circuit television (CCTV) cameras used by the Eastern Regional Control Centre (ERCC) are located, one northbound and two southbound, on 15 m high masts adjacent to the gantries. ERCC use the images from CCTV to monitor local traffic conditions and to direct Highways Agency Traffic Officers to incidents and break downs.
	 (b) The following equipment is mounted on gantries in this area:
	Advanced Motorway Indicators (AMI)—Located over every lane and used to control speeds.
	Enhanced Message Sign (EMS)—Located over the hard shoulder and used to notify drivers of traffic conditions, weather messages, campaign messages etc.
	In addition standard lane indicators which display speed and fog warnings are mounted on 3 m high posts on the entry (on) and exit (off) slip road verge.

Allotments: Local Authorities

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to ensure that local authorities make provision for allotment sites.

Iain Wright: The provision of allotments is the responsibility of local authorities. Section 23 of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908 places a duty on local authorities (except for inner London boroughs) to provide allotments where they perceive a demand for them in their area. Furthermore, 'Planning Policy Guidance Note 17: Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation, 2002' requires local authorities to make provision for all types of open space and requires them to undertake robust assessments of local needs and audits of existing open space, to establish standards for new provision. By implementing the guidance in PPG 17, local authorities should make adequate provision for allotments.
	A revised good practice guide, ,Growing in the Community,, was published by the Local Government Association in March 2008, and includes a section on allotment provision. A free copy was sent to all local authorities.

Departmental Publications

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 21 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1393-4W, on departmental publications, if she will place in the Library a copy of  (a) the contents page,  (b) the guidance on travel and  (c) the guidance on bonuses from her Department's staff handbook.

Parmjit Dhanda: A copy of the Staff Handbook contents page, guidance on travel and subsistence and guidance on bonuses has been deposited in the Library of the House.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many full-time posts were filled on a temporary basis for a period in excess of six months in her Department in each of the last three years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department makes use of temporary staff from employment agencies to fill certain posts. Often such posts require specialised skills. Our historical records of this practise are not in a format that enables us to provide the requested information.
	In addition, permanent civil servants are on occasion asked to fulfil a role at a more senior level on a temporary basis. In such instances, a temporary responsibility allowance is awarded. Because of the way that data has been entered on our payroll system, the information requested in relation to periods of temporary responsibility, which subsequently last for longer than six months, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Digital Mapping

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham of 21 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1397W, on digital mapping, who the members of the Expert Group on the Digital National Framework are.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Digital National Framework Expert Group meets three times a year to coordinate their activities. The Expert Group distribution list presently comprises over 60 representatives from 45 organisations, of which 29 are private sector or commercial organisations. Some representatives participate in a corresponding role only. Generally there are around 20 participants at an Expert Group and members host the meetings. The agenda and minutes of the meeting are posted on the DNF website at:
	http://www.dnf.org/Pages/about%20dnf/EGroup.asp

Floods: Repairs and Maintenance

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1405W, on floods: repair and maintenance, if she will break down by local government area the indicated number of households which are still displaced following the summer floods of 2007.

John Healey: The following table breaks down the number of displaced households by local authority area. The table is based on the best information available from local authorities in March 2008, which in some cases were estimates or figures provided in January. We expect figures provided in January to have decreased, and this is reflected in our estimates.
	
		
			  Local authority  Households displaced 
			 Amber Valley District (1)9 
			 Barnsley District 19 
			 Basingstoke and Deane District (1)10 
			 Birmingham District 8 
			 Cheltenham District 63 
			 Chesterfield District 88 
			 City of Kingston upon Hull 2,363 
			 Cotswold District 193 
			 County of Herefordshire 20 
			 Doncaster District 92 
			 East Lindsey District (1)106 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 1,312 
			 Forest of Dean District 17 
			 Gloucester District 176 
			 Harrogate District (1)8 
			 Kirklees District (1)17 
			 Leeds District 2 
			 Lincoln District (1)7 
			 Malvern Hills District 100 
			 Newark and Sherwood District 19 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme District (1)7 
			 North East Lincolnshire (1)2 
			 North Lincolnshire 105 
			 North Tyneside District (1)1 
			 North Wiltshire District 35 
			 Oxford District 35 
			 Rotherham District 11 
			 Sheffield District (1)13 
			 South Shropshire District 16 
			 Stratford-on-Avon District 200 
			 Stroud District 22 
			 Swindon (1)74 
			 Tewkesbury District 382 
			 Vale of White Horse District 141 
			 Wakefield District 90 
			 Warwick District 14 
			 West Berkshire 357 
			 West Lindsey District 44 
			 West Oxfordshire District 204 
			 Wokingham 70 
			 Worcester District 1 
			 Wychavon District 256 
			 Wyre Forest District 1 
			 Total 6,710 
			 (1) January figures

Land Use: Databases

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Wirral South of 3 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1274W, on allotments, whether the Green Space Database will include information on  (a) land with Green Belt designation,  (b) green field land,  (c) playing fields and  (d) gardens;
	(2)  what the planned expenditure is on the Green Space Database; and when it is expected to go live.

Iain Wright: The contract for the first phase of the green space database was awarded, following an open competition, for £66,163. It is expected to go live in summer 2008. The database's focus is on green spaces. It will not identify whether these are designated as green belt or green field land. It will include data on playing fiends and gardens as well as allotments, public parks and recreational woodlands.

Thames Gateway Delivery Corporation: Olympic Games 2012

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the remit of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation has been amended following the award of the 2012 Olympic Games to London.

Caroline Flint: The remit of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation, set up in 2004, is to drive forward the regeneration of the largest concentrations of brownfield land in the capital, in the Lower Lea Valley and Barking Riverside. This area now includes the main Olympic Park site at Stratford. Because of the unique nature of the Olympic Park, a specific organisation, the Olympic Delivery Authority, has been set up to deliver it, and the legacy transformation of the Olympic site is being co-ordinated by the London Development Agency, who own the land. This however is a small part of the overall London Thames Gateway Development Corporation designated area. The Olympic site is anticipated to deliver in the region of 9,000 new homes. The substantial task of regenerating the remainder of the Lea Valley which is anticipated to deliver some 25,000 new homes, remains with the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation and no change in their remit is necessary. The Development Corporation works closely with key stakeholders and it is anticipated that it will also work with the HCA, which will, once it is set up, have a leading role in bringing together the delivery of regeneration and housing.

Infection Control

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve infection control in the NHS.

Ann Keen: The national health service have made significant reductions on infections, and are on track to halve the methicillin resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA rate) by the end of March 2008. MRSA infections are down 30 per cent. and  C. difficile infections, for 65s and over, are down 23 per cent. on the same quarter in the previous year.
	However, we are not stopping there. The NHS will be expected to maintain improvements on MRSA and deliver a 30 per cent. reduction in  C. difficile infections by 2010-11.
	We have a strategy we know will reduce infection and equipped the NHS with a toolkit to deliver it. We have invested the money—over £270 million of additional investment per year by 2010-11. We have made proper infection control a legal requirement and are inspecting all trusts against this.

Preventive Health Check-ups

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to implement the preventive health check-up policy announced by the Prime Minister.

Ann Keen: The Prime Minister announced in January the Government's intention to develop a programme to assess people's risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease. "Putting Prevention First", published on 1 April 2008, showed that a vascular checks programme for those aged between 40 and 74, would be clinically and cost-effective. We are now working with stakeholders to design the programme for delivery from 2009-10.

Ambulance Services: Emergency Calls

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many medical 999 calls were made in each year since 1997, broken down by region; and what percentage of these resulted in ambulance dispatch in each region in each year.

Ben Bradshaw: Calls made to national health service ambulance services through the 999-telephony line are not categorised by type of caller. Information on the number of 999 calls made by the medical profession is therefore not collected centrally. Ambulance services provide data against their trust's response times to emergency 999 calls, which is collected each year by the Department on return KA34 and published annually in "Ambulance Services, England. Statistical Bulletin, collected in accordance with KA34". In addition to emergency 999 calls, prior to 1 April 2007, trusts have also reported annual data on urgent cases (i.e. urgent patient journeys), where ambulance services were required to transport patients by an ambulance vehicle to hospital following a request from a doctor, midwife or other health care professional. Information on urgent patient journeys is published annually in the "KA34 statistical bulletin".
	Copies of the "KA34 statistical bulletin" are available in the Library.

Ambulance Services: Emergency Calls

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many ambulance calls were made to ambulance call or control centres in  (a) Middlesbrough and  (b) Tyneside in 2007-08 or the most recent year for which information is available;
	(2)  how many ambulance calls made to the call centre in Middlesbrough in the last 12 month period for which information is available were from people in  (a) Redcar/Cleveland,  (b) Middlesbrough,  (c) Darlington,  (d) Hartlepool and  (e) Stockton;
	(3)  how many 999 calls were made to ambulance or control call centres in  (a) Middlesbrough and  (b) Tyneside in 2007-08 or the most recent year for which information is available;
	(4)  how many ambulances arrived late at their destination as a result of being misdirected by the ambulance control centre in  (a) Tyneside and  (b) Middlesbrough in 2007-08 or the most recent 12 month period for which information is available;
	(5)  how many deaths occurred as a result of the ambulance service  (a) being misdirected and  (b) (i) arriving late and (ii) not arriving at the destination in the Teesside area of the North East, including Redcar, Cleveland, Middlesbrough, Darlington, Hartlepool and Stockton, in 2007-08 or the last 12 month period for which information is available.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not centrally collected. The data that the Department does collect on ambulance response times is published on an annual basis in the statistical bulletin, "Ambulance services, England. Statistical Bulletin collected in accordance with KA34". These documents are available in the Library.

Cancer: Medical Treatments

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission research on the efficacy of photodynamic therapy; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is investing £1 million in a study to gather evidence on the clinical and cost effectiveness of photodynamic therapy for people with age-related macular degeneration.
	In addition, two of the NIHR biomedical research centres established in 2007 will be undertaking research concerned with the use of photodynamic therapy. At the University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, the photodynamic therapy research will form part of a gastroenterology and hepatology research theme to which £5 million has been allocated over five years. At the Moorfields Eye Hospital Biomedical Research Centre it will be part of programme of research to do with age-related macular degeneration to which £2.9 million has been allocated over five years.
	The Department is also providing national health service support for two trials of photodynamic therapy for biliary tract cancers through the NIHR Cancer Research Network, and for two trials of photodynamic therapy for cancer of the gullet (oesophagus) through the joint Cancer Research UK/NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre at University College Hospital London.
	The Medical Research Council has in the last six years funded two studies relating to photodynamic therapy at a total cost of £300,000.

Cardiovascular System: Health Services

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the potential of telemedicine as an effective and affordable tool for carrying out vascular checks for those aged between 40 to 74 years;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of telemedicine pharmacies to meeting the Government's programme of free vascular checks for those aged 40 to 74 years.

Ann Keen: On 1 April 2008, the Department published 'Putting Prevention First', a copy of this publication is available in the Library. This outlined initial analysis which confirmed that a programme to reach everybody between the ages of 40 and 74, to check their vascular risk and provide them with an individual assessment, would be both clinically effective and cost-effective.
	The next step is to develop an implementation and delivery programme with key stakeholders. We will be considering different options for delivering vascular checks involving a range of providers, including pharmacies.

Colorectal Cancer: Screening

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people have been contacted about bowel cancer screening by the Bowel Cancer Screening System in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06,  (d) 2006-07 and  (e) 2007-08;
	(2)  what percentage of people contacted about bowel cancer screening by the Bowel Cancer Screening System participated in the bowel cancer screening programme in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06,  (d) 2006-07 and  (e) 2007-08.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not available prior to July 2006.
	Roll out of the national NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme only began in April 2006, with the first invitations sent out in July 2006. Full national implementation is expected by December 2009. Within the programme, men and women are sent an invitation letter a week before they are sent a testing kit to give them the opportunity to decline receiving a testing kit if they do not wish to receive one for personal or clinical reasons.
	As at 31 March 2008, 1,185,791 men and women had been sent an invitation letter, 1,099,653 had been sent a testing kit, and 590,769 had completed and returned a testing kit. This represents 50 per cent. of those who had been sent an invitation letter, and 54 per cent. of those who had been sent a testing kit. In addition, 17,192 men and women aged 70 or over had been sent a testing kit on request.

Colorectal Cancer: Screening

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  from where the NHS Connecting for Health: Bowel Cancer Screening System draws its contact data;
	(2)  how often the dataset used by the NHS Connecting for Health: Bowel Cancer Screening System is refreshed.

Ann Keen: The bowel cancer screening system draws its data from the National Health Applications Infrastructure Services (the 'Exeter' system), which contains the names and details of all people registered with a general practitioner in England. The system is refreshed on a daily basis.

Colorectal Cancer: Screening

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to broaden the age range of the bowel cancer screening programme;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take to maximise up-take of bowel cancer screening among the target population; and what arrangements he has made to monitor the efficacy of the programme.

Ann Keen: As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced in September 2007 the NHS Bowel Screening Programme will be extended from 2010 to invite men and women aged 70 to 75 to take part.
	A booklet entitled 'Bowel Cancer Screening: The Facts', which provides information about bowel cancer and sets out the benefits and risks of participating in the screening programme, is sent out with each invitation. It is important to remember that no screening method is perfect and anyone invited to be screened for cancer must be aware of both the potential benefits and harms of being screened and be able to make an informed decision on whether or not to take part.
	It is for strategic health authorities working in partnership with their primary care trusts, local screening services and stakeholders to provide appropriate cancer screening services for their local populations, including the promotion of local screening services.
	The NHS bowel screening programme currently reports weekly returns to the Department. We are working with the Information Centre to develop a framework for the annual publication of statistics related to the programme once rollout is completed in December 2009.

General Practioners: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner surgeries there were in the Peterborough city council area in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 24 April 2008
	The information is not held in the format requested. The following table shows the number of general practitioner (GP) partnerships in the Peterborough primary care trust (PCT) area from 2001 to 2007 (a partnership may comprise a number of premises) and the number of GPs in the Peterborough PCT area from 2001 to 2007. Prior to 2001, no comparable information is available.
	I am advised that Peterborough PCT is currently developing proposals for a new GP-led health centre to be opened in Peterborough next year.
	
		
			  Number of GP partnerships (P) and number of GPs (G) in Peterborough PCT area at 30 September for each specified year 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			   P  G  P  G  P  G  P  G  P  G  P  G  P  G 
			 Peterborough PCT (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 27 94 27 98 
			 North Peterborough PCT 20 55 18 57 18 60 18 61 18 59 (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 South Peterborough PCT 13 53 14 52 14 56 15 61 15 65 (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 (1) Data not available.  Notes: 1. The GP Census collection does not contain data on number of surgeries. A partnership may comprise a number of premises. 2. 'G' includes full-time and part-time GPs. 3. Peterborough PCT was created on 1 October 2006 from a complete merger of North Peterborough PCT and a part merger of South Peterborough PCT. Due to this part merger, data from 2006 onwards is not directly comparable with data for 2001-05. Prior to 2001, no comparable information is available for this area.  Source: Information Centre for health and social care—GP Census.

Health Services

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to the personal relationship between general practitioners and patients in formulating primary care policy.

Alan Johnson: A patient's relationship with their family doctor is of vital importance. List-based general practice is a key strength of the system that we have. It is valued by patients, doctors and the national health service as a whole.
	There is no contradiction between the desire by many patients to be seen by their own general practitioner and the £250 million investment we are making in expanding primary care provision particularly in under doctored areas.

Health Services: North West

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the public expenditure per capita on  (a) primary care,  (b) emergency care and  (c) NHS dental provision in each constituency in the North West was in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: holding answer 1 May 2008
	The information is not available in the format requested. The information is not collected at constituency level but has been provided by national health service body in the current North West Strategic Health Authority area. Data is available for the years 2000-01 to 2006-07.
	The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in each primary care trust in London waited for  (a) three,  (b) six,  (c) nine,  (d) 12,  (e) 15,  (f) 18,  (g) 21 and  (h) 24 weeks and over for out-patient admission in each quarter of each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not held in the format requested. Data prior to 2006-07 was collected in grouped time bands of four week waiting times. However, the waiting times measurement was changed from banded weeks to actual individual weeks for 2006-07 onwards as the maximum waiting times reduced.
	The information available about the number of outpatients seen in each quarter, for each London primary care trust since 2002-03, has been placed in the Library.

NHS: Finance

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the difference was between the weighted caption formula calculation and the final allocation for each primary care trust in each of the last three financial years; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The table provides the final allocations made to primary care trusts (PCTs) for the years 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 and the percentage distance from target allocation set by the weighted-capitation formula for every PCT for the same period.
	Revenue allocations are made to PCTs on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. A weighted capitation formula is used to determine each PCTs' target shares of available resources to enable them to commission similar levels of health care for populations in similar need.
	The formula is used to set targets, which then inform allocations. The distance from target represents the actual allocation compared to the target allocation. It is the pace of change policy that determines actual allocations, as it dictates how quickly PCTs are brought nearer to target through the distribution of additional funds.
	
		
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			  PCT name  Allocation (£000)  Closing distance from target (DFT) (percentage)  Allocation (£000)  Closing DFT (percentage)  Allocation (£000)  Closing DFT (percentage) 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 410,731 -2.3 449,115 -2.4 473,646 -2.40 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 240,688 -4.8 267,023 -3.5 281,607 -3.50 
			 Barnet PCT 425,930 8.3 460,640 6.9 485,800 6.90 
			 Barnsley PCT 319,935 -4.5 353,531 -3.5 372,841 -3.50 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 130,267 -4.8 144,874 -3.5 152,787 -3.50 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 206,371 0.9 224,569 0.4 236,835 0.40 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 434,053 -4.4 483,955 -3.3 510,388 -3.30 
			 Berkshire East PCT 429,771 1.6 467,641 1.4 493,184 1.40 
			 Berkshire West PCT 477,657 -0.4 521,310 -0.5 549,784 -0.50 
			 Bexley Care Trust 258,661 0.6 281,904 0.3 297,301 0.30 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT 551,721 -3.1 606,916 -2.2 640,065 -2.20 
			 Blackburn with Darwen PCT 207,706 -3.6 227,152 -3.2 239,559 -3.20 
			 Blackpool PCT 213,766 0.5 232,537 0.2 245,239 0.20 
			 Bolton PCT 355,301 -2.1 388,481 -2 409,700 -2.00 
			 Bournemouth and Poole PCT 418,982 0.8 455,410 0.5 480,284 0.50 
			 Bradford and Airedale PCT 655,461 -0.6 713,986 -1.1 752,984 -1.10 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 407,601 5.3 440,836 4.8 464,915 4.80 
			 Brighton and Hove City PCT 349,706 0 381,965 0.2 402,828 0.20 
			 Bristol PCT 526,977 1.5 571,181 1 602,379 1.00 
			 Bromley PCT 373,188 4.4 403,632 3.2 425,678 3.20 
			 Buckinghamshire PCT 524,765 -0.4 573,490 -0.3 604,814 -0.30 
			 Bury PCT 226,689 -2.3 247,864 -2.2 261,403 -2.20 
			 Calderdale PCT 254,621 3.4 275,396 2.6 290,438 2.60 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 622,584 -2.1 685,883 -2.1 723,346 -2.10 
			 Camden PCT 368,783 7.4 398,848 5.6 420,633 5.60 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 522,824 1.6 571,132 1.2 602,327 1.20 
			 Central Lancashire PCT 556,430 0.9 607,500 0.6 640,682 0.60 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 380,906 -3.3 416,671 -3.5 439,429 -3.50 
			 Cornwall and Isles Of Scilly PCT 645,556 -3.4 710,827 -3.3 749,652 -3.30 
			 County Durham PCT 711,825 -2.2 784,201 -1.2 827,034 -1.20 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT 425,221 -4.9 469,451 -3.5 495,092 -3.50 
			 Croydon PCT 424,028 3 458,633 1.9 483,683 1.90 
			 Cumbria PCT 632,547 -0.1 689,160 -0.5 726,801 -0.50 
			 Darlington PCT 136,390 6.6 147,509 5.5 155,566 5.50 
			 Derby City PCT 329,454 -3.2 361,115 -2.9 380,839 -2.90 
			 Derbyshire County PCT 841,060 -1.3 922,913 -1.1 973,323 -1.10 
			 Devon PCT 871,595 -0.7 956,903 -0.8 1,009,169 -0.80 
			 Doncaster PCT 401,609 -2 439,103 -1.9 463,087 -1.90 
			 Dorset PCT 467,804 -1 512,900 -1.1 540,915 -1.10 
			 Dudley PCT 373,359 -0.6 407,037 -0.7 429,270 -0.70 
			 Ealing PCT 444,899 7.5 481,157 6.7 507,438 6.70 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 608,574 -1.9 667,728 -1.9 704,199 -1.90 
			 East Lancashire PCT 506,236 -1 553,338 -0.8 583,561 -0.80 
			 East Riding Of Yorkshire PCT 345,739 -1.7 380,204 -1.8 400,971 -1.80 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 421,307 3.4 458,443 2.6 483,483 2.60 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 917,451 -1.3 1,013,331 -0.9 1,068,679 -0.90 
			 Enfield PCT 351,514 0.1 384,190 0.1 405,175 0.10 
			 Gateshead PCT 286,689 -0.6 313,317 -0.1 330,431 -0.10 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 669,670 0.8 731,208 0.5 771,146 0.50 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 286,026 -5.1 319,752 -3.5 337,217 -3.50 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 344,632 2.1 372,379 0.7 392,719 0.70 
			 Halton and St Helens PCT 434,697 -1.8 474,176 -1.8 500,076 -1.80 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 265,137 7.1 286,377 6 302,019 6.00 
			 Hampshire PCT 1,404,036 1 1,531,884 0.6 1,615,555 0.60 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 346,339 1 375,205 0.5 395,698 0.50 
			 Harrow PCT 255,367 8.1 276,176 7.2 291,261 7.20 
			 Hartlepool PCT 131,905 -2.9 144,243 -2.8 152,122 -2.80 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT 248,194 2.6 270,154 2.1 284,910 2.10 
			 Havering PCT 303,017 0.3 331,028 0.2 349,109 0.20 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 410,557 -4.7 454,255 -3.5 479,066 -3.50 
			 Herefordshire PCT 202,786 -5.1 226,439 -3.5 238,807 -3.50 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 288,702 -1.8 316,327 -1.5 333,605 -1.50 
			 Hillingdon PCT 308,041 4.5 333,169 3.4 351,367 3.40 
			 Hounslow PCT 298,309 5.3 322,634 4.7 340,256 4.70 
			 Hull PCT 371,301 0.9 401,457 0.6 423,384 0.60 
			 Isle of Wight NHS PCT 185,563 -3.7 204,994 -3.5 216,191 -3.50 
			 Islington PCT 336,943 9.8 363,928 8.4 383,806 8.40 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 275,175 7.9 297,613 4.9 313,868 4.90 
			 Kingston PCT 202,727 10.6 219,238 9.2 231,213 9.20 
			 Kirklees PCT 485,093 1.1 527,512 0.7 556,324 0.70 
			 Knowsley PCT 243,375 -4.8 268,697 -3.5 283,374 -3.50 
			 Lambeth PCT 467,660 13.3 505,097 12.6 532,686 12.60 
			 Leeds PCT 952,025 3.7 1,032,366 3.2 1,088,754 3.20 
			 Leicester City PCT 386,947 -4.1 424,964 -3.2 448,176 -3.20 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 663,407 -2.6 730,485 -2.3 770,384 -2.30 
			 Lewisham PCT 397,785 12.1 429,633 11.4 453,100 11.40 
			 Lincolnshire PCT 829,240 -3.9 922,602 -3.1 972,995 -3.10 
			 Liverpool PCT 733,222 -3.8 803,354 -3 847,234 -3.00 
			 Luton PCT 223,068 -5.1 247,703 -3.5 261,233 -3.50 
			 Manchester PCT 735,995 -4.9 815,430 -3.5 859,969 -3.50 
			 Medway PCT 304,301 -5.1 340,701 -3.5 359,310 -3.50 
			 Mid Essex PCT 365,484 -3.3 405,722 -2.3 427,883 -2.30 
			 Middlesbrough PCT 208,845 -2.3 228,340 -1.5 240,812 -1.50 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 247,043 -5.1 277,919 -3.5 293,098 -3.50 
			 Newcastle PCT 386,439 2.2 417,413 1.6 440,212 1.60 
			 Newham PCT 415,179 -3.2 454,046 -3.2 478,846 -3.20 
			 Norfolk PCT 839,936 -3.4 932,449 -2.4 983,379 -2.40 
			 North East Essex PCT 381,624 -4.2 422,921 -3.3 446,020 -3.30 
			 North East Lincolnshire PCT 210,372 0.3 229,114 0.2 241,629 0.20 
			 North Lancashire PCT 418,760 0.1 456,349 -0.5 481,275 -0.50 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 190,441 -1.8 208,972 -1.7 220,386 -1.70 
			 North Somerset PCT 225,201 -5.1 251,427 -3.5 265,159 -3.50 
			 North Staffordshire PCT 255,312 0.7 278,040 0.4 293,227 0.40 
			 North Tees PCT 228,058 -4.8 253,743 -3.5 267,603 -3.50 
			 North Tyneside PCT 273,205 0 298,390 0 314,688 0.00 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 870,019 0.8 947,379 0.2 999,125 0.20 
			 Northamptonshire PCT 730,405 -5 817,249 -3.7 861,887 -3.70 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 399,055 0.5 434,542 0.2 458,277 0.20 
			 Nottingham City PCT 396,017 -0.2 430,928 0 454,466 0.00 
			 Nottinghamshire County PCT 766,008 -0.8 839,335 -0.6 885,179 -0.60 
			 Oldham PCT 304,145 -3.1 332,588 -2.7 350,754 -2.70 
			 Oxfordshire PCT 663,385 0.3 727,498 0.2 767,234 0.20 
			 Peterborough PCT 200,369 1.6 226,047 4.4 238,393 4.40 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT 320,442 0.9 348,433 0.5 367,464 0.50 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 232,225 -0.2 253,929 0 267,799 0.00 
			 Redbridge PCT 292,512 1.4 317,506 0.6 334,848 0.60 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT 189,438 -0.7 206,163 -0.7 217,424 -0.70 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 224,520 14.5 242,789 13 256,050 13.00 
			 Rotherham PCT 330,233 -1.2 361,022 -1.2 380,741 -1.20 
			 Salford PCT 346,814 1.5 374,615 0.9 395,076 0.90 
			 Sandwell PCT 422,253 -3.6 461,941 -3 487,172 -3.00 
			 Sefton PCT 389,658 2.2 424,393 2.1 447,574 2.10 
			 Sheffield PCT 721,813 4.3 783,833 4.1 826,646 4.10 
			 Shropshire County PCT 331,198 -1 363,336 -0.8 383,181 -0.80 
			 Solihull Care Trust 236,950 -0.8 259,370 -0.4 273,537 -0.40 
			 Somerset PCT 598,119 -3 661,858 -2.3 698,008 -2.30 
			 South Birmingham PCT 467,293 -0.3 510,764 -0.1 538,661 -0.10 
			 South East Essex PCT 405,020 -0.4 441,775 -0.8 465,904 -0.80 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 250,189 -0.9 275,190 -0.8 290,221 -0.80 
			 South Staffordshire PCT 653,701 -1.6 716,139 -1.6 755,254 -1.60 
			 South Tyneside PCT 222,991 -2.1 243,791 -1.4 257,107 -1.40 
			 South West Essex PCT 473,017 -3.5 525,622 -2.3 554,331 -2.30 
			 Southampton City PCT 295,218 -2.4 323,249 -2.1 340,905 -2.10 
			 Southwark PCT 401,542 3.9 433,721 3.2 457,410 3.20 
			 Stockport PCT 349,861 1.1 379,343 0.7 400,063 0.70 
			 Stoke On Trent PCT 360,415 -0.7 392,763 -0.5 414,216 -0.50 
			 Suffolk PCT 659,034 -2.5 726,691 -2 766,383 -2.00 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT 413,283 0.6 449,010 0.3 473,535 0.30 
			 Surrey PCT 1,234,594 6 1,335,260 4.9 1,408,192 4.90 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 459,723 5.8 497,211 4.6 524,369 4.60 
			 Swindon PCT 223,813 0.8 243,943 0.3 257,267 0.30 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 308,593 -0.4 337,310 -0.3 355,733 -0.30 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT 187,621 -5.1 209,334 -3.5 220,768 -3.50 
			 Torbay Care Trust 185,688 -5.1 207,397 -3.5 218,725 -3.50 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 360,074 -3.6 395,521 -3.5 417,125 -3.50 
			 Trafford PCT 275,442 3 299,535 2.8 315,896 2.80 
			 Wakefield District PCT 444,548 -2.5 489,186 -2 515,905 -2.00 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT 342,196 -0.9 374,066 -0.7 394,497 -0.70 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 320,806 1.3 347,335 0.8 366,306 0.80 
			 Wandsworth PCT 388,415 12.7 420,027 11.9 442,968 11.90 
			 Warrington PCT 237,103 0.1 259,050 -0.1 273,199 -0.10 
			 Warwickshire PCT 592,423 -2.4 652,206 -2.1 687,830 -2.10 
			 West Essex PCT 313,574 1.8 340,399 0.8 358,991 0.80 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 627,084 3.4 679,655 2.6 716,778 2.60 
			 West Kent PCT 740,523 0 810,316 0 854,576 0.00 
			 West Sussex PCT 952,453 3.2 1,034,023 2.4 1,090,501 2.40 
			 Western Cheshire PCT 303,849 0 332,116 0 350,256 0.00 
			 Westminster PCT 367,029 14.8 396,902 11.6 418,581 11.60 
			 Wiltshire PCT 490,847 -0.1 539,616 -0.1 569,089 -0.10 
			 Wirral PCT 459,538 0.5 500,617 0.3 527,960 0.30 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT 326,781 -4.8 360,656 -3.5 380,355 -3.50 
			 Worcestershire PCT 617,658 -2.2 679,281 -1.8 716,383 -1.80

Prescriptions

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the Information Centre to publish proposals for the use of practice-level prescribing data, as announced in the Information Centre's presentation to the Inaugural Supplier Forum of 7 November 2007; whether he intends to ask the Information Centre to consult on these proposals; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Information Centre for health and social care agreed to produce a review document seeking to determine whether it will be possible to make practice level prescribing data more accessible to the private sector with due regard to appropriate legislation, current departmental policy and the professional regulations of those involved in the supply of prescriptions.
	This review is ongoing and there are currently no proposals for the release of practice level prescribing data or any anticipated dates for changes to the current position.

Urology: Medical Equipment

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will list each of the consultations undertaken on the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances, giving in each case the dates of commencement and closure; when he expects the process to be complete; how much is has cost; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how the opinions of patients has been sought in the consultations conducted on the provision of stoma and incontinence products; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The current review of the arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances—and related services—in primary care began in October 2005 and has followed the following timetable:
	
		
			  Consultation  Opened  Closed  Key purpose 
			 Arrangements for the provision of dressings, incontinence appliances, stoma appliances, chemical reagents and other appliances to primary and secondary care 24 October 2005 23 January 2006 Joint consultation; setting out objectives 
			 Arrangements for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances and related support services to patients under Part IX of the Drug Tariff 27 July 2006 11 September 2006 Sought views on service specification and broad classification 
			 Arrangements for the reimbursement pricing of stoma and incontinence appliances under Part IX of the Drug Tariff 23 November 2006 2 April 2007 Sought views on classification of items and reduction in reimbursement 
			 Arrangements for the remuneration of services relating to appliances within Part IX of the Drug Tariff 23 November2006 2 April 2007 Sought views on service provision and remuneration for same 
			 Proposed amendments to the Regulatory Terms of Service of Pharmacy and Appliance Contractors in relation to dispensing items listed in Part IX of the Drug Tariff 5 March 2007 2 April 2007 Given proposed service provision, sought views on amendments to terms of service 
			 Arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances—and related services—to primary care, revised proposals. 6 September 2007 28 December 2007 Sought views on new proposals relating to reimbursement, service provision and remuneration - and terms of service 
		
	
	A further consultation will be published in May 2008, together with an impact assessment and equality impact assessment, and will be open for 12 weeks. No statement can be made as to when the process will be complete until that consultation has concluded.
	Costs to date have been £2.4 million, but this does include the work that was done on chemical reagents and dressings in 2005 and 2006. These costs were for the services of professional advisers. The Department's costs are part of its ongoing operational budget.
	The new arrangements for reagents and dressings which came into effect in October 2006 are delivering savings of £24 million year to primary care.
	A wide range of patients groups have been involved in the consultation process and users have helped to inform policy at every stage.

Developing Countries: Agriculture

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the findings and options of the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development reports to be presented to the Intergovernmental Plenary; and what steps he plans to take in tackling hunger, rural poverty and environmental degradation in the light of that assessment.

Douglas Alexander: The International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) is a unique assessment involving governments, civil society and academics. The IAASTD reports are a useful contribution to the debate and understanding on agricultural knowledge, science and technology and its potential to reduce poverty and hunger around the world. Given increasing food prices and their impact on poor people they are also very timely. However, while presenting an overall consensus the IAASTD reports do reflect a diversity of views on some issues for example on modern biotechnology.
	My Department will be considering the options presented by the IAASTD and the implications this has for the UK's support to developing countries on agricultural research to help tackle hunger, rural poverty and environmental degradation. Many of the issues raised by the IAASTD, for example land degradation and impact of agricultural trade on poor farmers have already been identified by DFID, and are highlighted in our new five year research strategy which I launched on 22 April.

Developing Countries: Education

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps the Government has taken to encourage developing countries to provide education to girls as well as boys.

Gillian Merron: holding answer 1 May 2008
	The UK Government have committed £8.5 billion for education over the 10 years to 2015-16 in support of education sector plans in developing countries.
	The Department for International Development works with developing country governments to ensure gender equality is effectively addresses in education sector plans to ensure that girls, as well as boys, benefit. Our work with international and non-governmental organisations like UNICEF and the United Nations Girls Education Initiative, tackles social and economic barriers outside the education system that hinder girls' participation.
	Last July (2007), the Prime Minister and United Nations' Secretary General Ban Ki Moon launched an MDG Call to Action to urge the international community to accelerate actions to achieve the Millennium Development Goals—including the Education goals. Girls' education is central to both the Education MDG and the Maternal Mortality MDG—both of which are key pillars of the Call to Action.

Developing Countries: Education

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps the Government has taken to assist developing countries in the funding of education.

Gillian Merron: holding answer 1 May 2008
	The UK Government have committed £8.5 billion for education in developing countries over the 10 years to 2015-16. During the French President Sarkozy's recent visit to London, the UK and France agreed to each help support 8 million children in school by 2010.
	The UK Government are actively engaged in galvanising international political action in support of Education for All. The G8 reaffirmed its commitment that no country committed to Education for All will be thwarted in their efforts through lack of resources, and we continue to urge other donors to meet their promises on education.
	Education is one of the key pillars of the Call to Action. We are working with the United Nations and other donors to accelerate action in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. We hope to see a concrete Action Plan being agreed at the international conference, being held in New York on 25 September.

Gaza: Politics and Government

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of  (a) the humanitarian situation in Gaza and  (b) the effectiveness of the international community's policies to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza over the last two years.

Douglas Alexander: The UK Government are extremely concerned by the humanitarian situation in Gaza. 64 per cent. of Gaza's population is at least partly dependent on food aid and 90 per cent. of mains water is polluted. Access through crossings between Gaza and Israel remains restricted although limited deliveries of emergency food aid, medicines and commercial items have been allowed in. However, the size and frequency of these deliveries are insufficient to meet the broader needs of the population.
	The problem is not a lack of support from the international community, rather the continued restrictions on access to Gaza.
	The European Commission (EC) created the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) in 2006. Before the TIM was subsumed into the new PEGASE mechanism in March 2007, the EC and European Union members provided €455 (£361 million) of funding through it. The TIM was a successful emergency assistance mechanism and PEGASE will continue to provide an effective means of supporting essential services and the livelihoods of key, frontline workers. Further international community support over the past two years has been channelled through UN agencies and NGOs providing humanitarian assistance and supporting basic services.
	In response to restrictions on imports into Gaza the UK and others have consistently encouraged the Government of Israel to facilitate the provision of humanitarian support. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I released a statement to this effect on 8 February and we continue to raise the matter with the Israeli authorities.

India: Overseas Aid

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funds his Department provided to the  (a) Food and Drug Capacity Building Project,  (b) Orissa Health Systems Development Project,  (c) Second National Aids Control Project,  (d) Malaria Control Project and  (e) Tuberculosis Control Project in India in each year from 2001-02 to 2007-08.

Shahid Malik: These five projects are World Bank projects that were the subject of a recent World Bank Detailed Implementation Review (DIR) which found indications of fraud and corruption. All the projects were funded by the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA). The UK provided around 10.4 per cent. of donor funds to IDA during the period in question. The World Bank's Board of Directors discussed the DIR on 13 March and endorsed World Bank and Government of India Action Plans to address problems identified in the DIR.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) separately supports health projects in India through its bilateral programme. During these years, DFID supported the second phase of India's National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), through a multi-agency programme with the Government of India, UN agencies and civil society organisations. Total expenditure on this project was £4,949, 875, £19,996,646, £28,606,262 and £12,032,842 in 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 respectively. DFID is reviewing its support to NACP to ensure that any implications for DFID funding from the DIR are being robustly addressed.

Electoral Register

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what evidence there is that a move to individual registration would increase under-registration of those who are legally entitled to vote.

Bridget Prentice: The only comparable evidence that a move to individual registration would increase under registration in Great Britain is what happened in Northern Ireland. The Electoral Commission report, 'Electoral Registration in Northern Ireland', published in 2004, found a decrease of 10 per cent. in the number of names included on the August 2002 register and the December 2002 register, equating to approximately 120,000 fewer names. Since this time the situation has improved, as demonstrated by ONS figures which confirm the number of electors for 2007 grew by 50,078 (4.7 per cent.) to 1,120,343 for parliamentary elections and by 50,857 (4.7 per cent.) to 1,125,935 for local government elections.
	The report concluded that the system of registration could make it difficult for specific groups in society to access the electoral process. These included young people and students, people with learning disabilities and other forms of disability and those living in areas of high social deprivation.
	Any new system of electoral registration in GB would need to be tailored to current circumstances, and in particular would need to address the challenge of under registration in GB, where an estimated 3.5 million eligible electors are not registered to vote.
	We are already committed to the principle of individual registration. But this would be a far-reaching reform, and it would need to be undertaken with great care—both to make sure a new system is robust, and to ensure that it properly tackles the problem of under-registration.
	Our vision for electoral registration is clear: We want to protect the rights of every eligible person to participate in the United Kingdom's democratic process by ensuring complete, accurate and secure electoral registration.

Prisoners

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of the prison population was born in  (a) Britain,  (b) EU-15 countries,  (c) EU A8 countries,  (d) other EEA countries,  (e) Africa,  (f) North America,  (g) Central America,  (h) South America,  (i) the Middle East,  (j) Asia and  (k) Oceania in each year since 1997.

Jack Straw: Data on prisoners' country of birth is not available.
	The following table gives figures and proportions for the numbers of prisoners by nationality held in all prisons in England and Wales from  (a) Britain  (b) EU 15 countries  (c) EU A8 countries  (d) other EEA countries  (e) Africa  (f) North America  (g) and  (h) Central and South America  (i) Middle East  (j) Asia and  (k) Oceania with other categories in each year since 1997.
	
		
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Total prison population 61,467 65,727 64,529 65,194 66,403 71,218 73,657 74,488 76,190 77,982 79,734 
			 
			  (a) UK National 56,611 60,393 59,074 59,043 58,732 62,553 63,614 64,379 66,670 66,160 67,760 
			  (b) EU 15 Countries (not UK) 1,274 1,425 1,515 1,490 1,535 1,462 1,552 1,659 1,619 1,683 1,526 
			  (c) EU AS countries (post 2004) — — — — — — — 170 334 574 688 
			  (d) Other EEA countries (Excludes Romania and Bulgaria until 2007 and Cyprus and Malta until 2004) 0 3 3 0 2 4 2 75 63 73 253 
			  (e) Africa 920 921 919 878 1,158 1,297 1,629 1,877 2,430 2,960 3,202 
			  (f) North America 111 135 133 124 119 98 120 124 103 126 124 
			  (g) and  (h) Central America and South America 158 170 199 201 210 210 273 284 302 373 371 
			  (i) Middle East 118 124 135 164 201 210 406 424 563 672 670 
			  (j)Asia 868 914 906 776 1,001 856 1,069 1,100 1,311 1,665 1,892 
			  (k) Oceania 46 49 42 63 38 42 43 41 48 43 46 
			  (l) West Indies 811 884 1,008 1,222 1,856 2,758 3,020 2,463 2,040 1,840 1,639 
			  (m) Unrecorded 179 201 68 543 755 946 1,132 1,168 869 944 877 
			  (n) Other Europe (includes EU A8 Countries until 2004 and Romania and Bulgaria until 2007 and Cyprus and Malta until 2004) 369 505 525 671 793 775 879 718 824 861 681 
			 
			  As percentage of all prisoners  
			  (a) UK National 92 92 92 91 88 88 86 86 86 85 85 
			  (b) EU 15 Countries (not UK) 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			  (c) EU A8 countries (post 2004) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			  (d) Other EEA countries (Excludes Romania and Bulgaria until 2007 and Cyprus and Malta until 2004) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  (e) Africa 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 
			  (f) North America 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  (g) and  (h) Central America and South America 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  (i) Middle East 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 
			  (j)Asia 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 
			  (k) Oceania 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  (l) West Indies 1 1 2 2 3 4 4 3 3 2 2 
			  (m) Unrecorded 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 
			  (n) Other Europe (includes EU A8 Countries until 2004 and Romania and Bulgaria until 2007 and Cyprus and Malta until 2004) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
		
	
	For the purposes of this table, and allowing for changes in EU membership over time, countries have been categorised in the following way.
	EU 15 countries are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Sweden.
	EU A8 countries are: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia.
	Other EEA countries: (i) In EU: Cyprus, Malta, Romania, Bulgaria, and (ii) not in EU: Norway, Lichtenstein and Iceland.
	Cyprus and Malta acceded to the EU (and consequently the EEA) in 2004; Romania and Bulgaria in 2007. The table reflects these timings.
	Other Europe: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Gibraltar, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldavia, Montenegro, Russia (or Russian Federation), San Marino, Serbia, (with Montenegro after 2002), Switzerland, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Yugoslavia.
	Figures for the West Indies and "Other Europe" are included in the answer for completeness.
	All the figures in the aforementioned table can be found in Population in Custody 2007, Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2003-06 and Prison Statistics England and Wales 1997-2002, at the following website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics.htm
	Copies of these publications can be found in the House of Commons Library.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Afghanistan: Drugs

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to tackle opium poppy cultivation in the provinces of Afghanistan where it is taking place; and what assessment he has made of the impact of drug trafficking on the stability of the region.

Kim Howells: The UK is supporting the Afghan Government in implementing its National Drug Control Strategy (NDCS). This includes work at a national level, through the Ministry of Counter Narcotics, and provincially, through the Independent Directorate for local governance and through provincial governors. Our efforts are focused on those areas where opium poppy cultivation is concentrated, notably in Helmand province. In support of the NDCS, UK assistance aims to: raise public awareness; promote international and regional co-operation; promote alternative livelihoods; reduce demand for drugs; support law enforcement; establish an effective criminal justice system; support targeted eradication of opium cultivation; and build effective Afghan Government institutions.
	We remain concerned about the potential for Afghan drug-trafficking to undermine regional stability and are encouraging Afghanistan and its neighbours to take forward further regional counter narcotics coordination and cooperation. The UK will be participating as an observer in the Good Neighbourly Relations Declaration meeting scheduled to take place later this year, which is integral to this process.

Children: Daycare

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) pre-school age and  (b) school-aged children in lower-income working families in England using formal child care in each year since 2004 as measured against the 2003-04 and 2004-05 averaged baseline; and what progress has been made towards meeting his Department's public service agreement target.

Stephen Timms: The data requested is not available.
	Information relating to what progress has been made towards meeting this public service agreement target is available in the departmental Autumn Performance Report 2007. This is available in the Library and can also be viewed at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2007/autumnreport/full-report07.pdf
	Figures showing progress towards public service agreement 3b will be available when the results of the 2007 Childcare Survey are published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families later this year.

Employment

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the employment rate of  (a) lone parents,  (b) ethnic minorities,  (c) people aged over 50,  (d) the 15 per cent. of the population with the lowest qualifications and  (e) those living in wards with a benefit claim rate of 25 per cent. or above and wards in the 10 local authority districts with the lowest employment rates which have benefit claim rates between 20 and 25 per cent. was in each year since 2004 as measured against the baseline figures used to assess progress towards public service agreement target 4; and what progress has been made towards meeting this target.

Stephen Timms: Available information on the employment rate of lone parents, ethnic minorities, older workers, people with the lowest qualifications and people living in deprived areas in each year since 2004 as measured against the baseline figures used to assess progress towards public service agreement target 4 is shown in the following table.
	The baseline for the targets set in the Comprehensive Spending Review 2004 was Quarter 2 2005. The Quarter 2 2004 data was measured against a different baseline.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Quarter 2 2004  Quarter 2 2005  Quarter 2 2006  Quarter 2 2007 
			 Lone Parents 54.4 56.2 56.4 57.2 
			 Ethnic Minorities 59.2 58.6 60.5 60.1 
			 Older Workers (aged 50-69) 54.2 54.6 55.4 55.5 
			 Lowest Qualified n/a 49.8 49.0 49.1 
			 Deprived Areas n/a 59.8 60.1 61.1 
			  Notes: 1. The data is not seasonally adjusted so Q2 quarters are compared (as this is the baseline). 2. Quarter 2 2007 is the latest data available. 3. The data refers to Great Britain. 4. The PSA target covers people aged 50-69.. 
		
	
	Information relating to what progress has been made towards meeting this target is available in the departmental Autumn Performance Report 2007. This is available in the Library and can also be viewed at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2007/autumnreport/full-report07.pdf

Learning and Skills Council for England: Finance

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much intervention funding he plans to make available to each regional and sub-regional learning and skills council to support further education college mergers and other exceptional circumstances in each of the years of the current comprehensive spending review period.

David Lammy: I refer the hon. Member to his question 202977. As stated in that answer, the Department does not propose to make an additional budget available specifically for intervention at this point and there is no specific fund to support merger proposals.

Children's Centres

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many children aged  (a) under one,  (b) one year old,  (c) two years old,  (d) three years old,  (e) four years old,  (f) five years old and  (g) more than five years old attended children's centres in each year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many children attended each children's centre in each year for which figures are available;
	(3)  how many and what proportion of children attending children's centres were in the care of a local authority in each year for which figures are available;
	(4)  how many and what proportion of children attending children's centres were from socio-economic groups four to seven in each year for which figures are available;
	(5)  how many and what proportion of children attending children's centres were from black, minority or ethnic backgrounds in each year for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: Sure Start Children's Centres offer a wide range of services to children and families, including childcare, health and family support services. The Department does not collect data on all children attending children's centres. However the Childcare and Early Years Providers survey does provide some data on children attending full day care provision in children's centres.
	The 2006 Childcare and Early Years Providers survey estimated that there were 40,050 children attending full day care provision in Sure Start Children's Centres in England. At 31 March 2006 there were 836 designated children's centres.
	The proportion of children attending, by age is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Table 1: Percentage of children attending full day care provision in Sure Start Children's Centres, by age—2006 
			   Percentage 
			 Under 2 years old 21 
			 2 years old 29 
			 3 years old 28 
			 4 years old 16 
			 5-7 years old 2 
			 8 years old and over 2 
			  Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 per cent due to rounding. 
		
	
	The 2006 Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey estimated that there were approximately 10,250 children from a black and minority ethnic group attending full day care provision in children's centres, an average of 24 per cent. of children per setting.
	The Childcare and Early Years Providers survey does not collect information about children in care or children's socio-economic groups.
	Data for previous years is not available; children's centres were included in the survey for the first time in 2006.
	Local authorities are responsible for the performance management of children's centres. To support them in this, and to encourage a systematic approach, we issued "Planning and Performance Management Guidance" in November 2006 including a framework of performance indicators reflecting the every child matters (ECM) outcomes, national public service agreement targets, and key activities for centres for example reaching excluded groups in their area; and a self evaluation form for centres to complete and discuss with their local authority. In line with the proposals in "Strong and Prosperous Communities", the local government White Paper published in October 2006, we are moving to a more streamlined and proportionate performance management regime with a new national indicator set which includes indicators relating to Sure Start Children's Centres.

Olympic Games 2012: Education

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions he has had with the Minister for the Olympics on the educational legacy of the 2012 Olympic Games.

Jim Knight: I have had one meeting with the Minister for the Olympics (Tessa Jowell) to discuss the education legacy of the 2012 games.
	Officials from my Department are currently in discussion with the Government Olympic Executive and the London Organising Committee of the Games on the development of a detailed Education Delivery Plan to support the successful delivery of PSA 22 and the Legacy Action Plan indicators for which the Minister for the Olympics (Tessa Jowell) is responsible.

Welfare Tax Credits: Telephone Services

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 21 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1691W, on welfare tax credits: telephone services, whether the staffing cost for 2006-07 is for both the claimants and the hon. Members' tax credit helpline.

Jane Kennedy: The staffing costs in my previous answer related only to the claimants tax credit helpline.
	The other data is not available in the format requested as the information cannot be disaggregated from other costs. The number of staff on the tax credit office MP hotline fluctuates according to demand and advisers are assigned other tasks during less busy periods.

AWE Burghfield

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will propose changes to the  (a) management and  (b) procedures and systems at Atomic Weapons Establishment Burghfield to reduce the likelihood of any future necessary cessation of services on safety grounds; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The nuclear site licensee at AWE Burghfield is AWE plc, which manages the site under Government owned/contractor operated arrangements. The external regulator, the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII), is satisfied that operations are safe and has not taken action to stop live nuclear work at AWE Burghfield. Ministry of Defence officials maintain a constant dialogue with AWE plc and Nil colleagues. There is therefore no reason for ministerial intervention.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent by his Department on the appeal to the Information Tribunal in Campaign Against Arms Trade vs The Information Commissioner and Ministry of Defence (EA/2007/40); and what fees have been paid to his Department's counsel in this case.

Bob Ainsworth: Legal fees incurred up to the end of March 2008 in defending the appeal brought by the Campaign Against the Arms Trade were £35,155.12. These are made up of £26,391.29 paid to the Treasury Solicitor and £8,763.83 paid to Counsel.

Departmental Pensions

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what his most recent estimate is of the unfunded liability in present value terms of each public sector pension scheme for which his Department is responsible; and on what assumptions for  (a) discount and  (b) longevity the estimate is based;
	(2)  what the unfunded liability in present value terms was of each public sector pension scheme for which his Department is responsible in each year since 1990-91;
	(3)  what the  (a) rate and  (b) cost was of employer contributions for each public sector pension scheme for which his Department has responsibility in each year since 1990-91; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what the effect on his Department's expenditure would be of increasing the employee contribution to each pension scheme for which his Department is responsible by 1 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what the cash equivalent transfer value is of the public sector pensions of the 10 highest paid members of staff in his Department and its Executive agencies; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence is only responsible for the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS). The Cabinet Office has responsibility for the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS). The information requested on the AFPS is contained within the AFPS resource accounts which are available in the Library of the House. The first set of resource accounts produced for the AFPS was for financial year 1998-99. These were un-audited as this was regarded as a 'dry run' for resource accounting within the MOD.
	None were produced prior to this and therefore information is only available from this date. The first formal set of AFPS resource accounts to be published was in financial year 1999-2000.
	It should also be noted that the AFPS is a non-contributory pension scheme and as such, the only contributions made are those made by the employer, which in this case is the MOD.
	The total cash equivalent transfer value (CETV) for the pensions of the 11 highest paid members of the MOD totalled some £13.945 million as at 31 March 2008. Many of these individuals are named in the remuneration reports that form part of the MOD's resource accounts and the cash equivalent transfer value of their public sector pensions is therefore reported annually. The remuneration reports are already in the public domain. I have reported 11 highest paid members of staff because the 10(th) and 11(th) members of staff are on the same salary rate. The CETV figure given includes both armed forces and civilian personnel.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 28 April 2008,  Official Report, column 58W, on Iraq: peacekeeping operations, for what reasons his Department does not keep records of the nationality of individuals killed in engagements involving UK forces in Iraq or Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: It is not possible to maintain accurate records of the nationalities of individuals killed by UK forces in Iraq or Afghanistan. Although battle damage assessments are conducted following an engagement, insurgents frequently do not carry documents that reliably indicate their nationality. Additionally the circumstances of engagements mean that the risks to UK forces remaining at the scene would frequently outweigh any benefits from attempting to confirm nationalities; many engagements are also conducted at ranges where UK personnel are unable to reach any insurgent fatalities before they are removed.

Architecture: Education

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding he has allocated for the Engaging Places project; and how much of this has been allocated to the provision of online resources to accompany the project.

Margaret Hodge: In 2007-08 DCMS provided £75,000 of support towards research, piloting a network of learning providers and the development of an online website portal in partnership with Culture24. Other funding support came from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and English Heritage. Out of the total budget for Engaging Places £50,000 was allocated towards the research, design and development of a web portal. Culture24 are providing the web portal and consultancy services.
	In 2008-09 DCMS will contribute £100,000 to support the next phase of Engaging Places. This will support the appointment of a new online editor for the Engaging Places website and the development of a network linking learning providers and schools with an interest in heritage and the built environment. Additional support will come from CABE and English Heritage.

Consultants

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what payments VisitLondon made to  (a) Mandate Communications and  (b) AS Biss and Co in each of the last five years; and on what dates and for what purpose the payment was made in each case.

Margaret Hodge: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not have responsibility for Visit London affairs, any matter relating to this body falls under the remit of the Mayor of London.

Departmental Buildings

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent estimate has been made of the value of those parts of Oceanic House for which his Department is responsible; and what progress has been made on a possible sale.

Gerry Sutcliffe: No valuation has been placed on the parts of Oceanic house that the Department had occupied as the areas were leased. The Department is not involved in the sale of the property but is at present negotiating its exit from the lease agreement with the landlord's agents.

Departmental Research

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department's Joint Research Budget will be in each of the next three years; and what projects have been commissioned from the budget to date.

Margaret Hodge: The total value for the budget for conducting joint research for each of the next three years is as follows:
	
		
			   £000 
			   Budget 
			 2008-09 3,424 
			 2009-10 3,431 
			 2010-11 3,438 
		
	
	We have yet to commission anything from this budget, though we are in the final stages of contracting our national survey of participation ('Taking Part') which is covered by this budget.

Lacrosse: Finance

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Youth Sports Trust spent on the development of lacrosse in the last 12 months.

Gerry Sutcliffe: As a registered charity, the work of the Youth Sport Trust is to help build a better future for young people through sport. They are working with the network of school sport partnerships and sports colleges across the country to ensure all young people have access to at least five hours of PE and school sport by 2012. Their remit is not to fund individual sports, so they have not spent any money directly on Lacrosse.

Ministerial Steering Board on the Creative Economy

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport who sits on the Ministerial Steering Board on the Creative Economy; when it will first meet; and how often he expects it to meet.

Andy Burnham: The Creative Economy Programme Ministerial Steering Board will be chaired by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Culture. The Board will include Ministers from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and a number of high-level representatives from across the Creative Sectors. We are currently finalising the membership of the Board and will publish full details on www.cep.culture.gov.uk shortly.
	The first meeting will be held by the end of June and will occur approximately quarterly thereafter.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hornchurch of 12 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 666-8W, on alcohol drinks: young people, if she will publish equivalent figures for West Midlands Police force area on  (a) the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts,  (b) the number of offenders cautioned and  (c) the number of penalty notices for disorder issued.

Vernon Coaker: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 666-8W. Police force areas were not included in the table where there was no data for defendants proceeded against, cautioned or issued with a PND for illegal alcohol purchasing. This was referenced in footnote number 4.

Identity and Passport Service: Data Protection

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many breaches of data security there have been at the Identity and Passport Agency since its inception.

Jacqui Smith: Except in exceptional circumstances, when it is in the public interest, it has been the policy of successive governments not to comment on breaches of security.

Immigration: EC Action

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the outcomes for the UK of the EC Preparatory Action Migration Management—Solidarity in Action 2007 programme; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 25 March 2008
	The Preparatory Action 'Migration Management—solidarity in Action 2007' is an European Community funding stream whose awards were not granted until November 2007 onwards. The duration of projects funded under the programme can be up to 18 months. As no projects have been completed it is not yet possible to make a statement on the assessment of the outcomes.

Offensive Weapons: Crimes of Violence

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when data on serious violent offences involving the use of knives and sharp instruments will next be published.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 23 April 2008
	It is not possible to identify those offences involving knives or sharp instruments from the data centrally collected on overall recorded crime. However, since April 2007, police forces have been providing separate aggregate data on serious violence involving knives. Home Office statisticians will assess the quality of this data and it is planned that figures for 2007-08 will be published in 'Crime in England and Wales 2007-08' in July 2008.
	Available data from the Homicide Index relates to offences currently recorded as homicide where the apparent method of killing is 'sharp instrument'. Data relating to the period 1997-98 to 2007-08 is scheduled for publication in January 2009.

Olympic Games 2012: Security

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons Chinese security personnel accompanied the Olympic Torch during its London relay on 6 April; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Every torch relay has torch attendants from the Olympic organising committee responsible for the flame after it has been handed over to the host city. The Chinese torch attendants were responsible for lighting and extinguishing the torches and accompanying and guarding the flame. The Metropolitan Police Service was responsible for the safety, security and safe passage of the torchbearer and torch as it travelled through London. The Chinese torch attendants had no policing role or executive power in London.

Passports: Interviews

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of face-to-face passport interviews since their introduction.

Jacqui Smith: The requirement for face to face interviews for adult passport applicants has been phased in gradually, and the Identity and Passport Service's network of interview offices only became fully operational from 66 offices from 28 January this year. The capacity of the network has been increased progressively since July last year. The final office is due to open in May.
	The interview requirement has been well received by customers who see this as a positive move in terms of safeguarding their identity. Given that the full volume of interviews is only now being achieved it would be premature to make an assessment of the effectiveness of face to face interviews in deterring and detecting fraud.

Personal Records: Private Sector

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legal or other constraints are imposed on private companies, including airport operators, in taking and storing fingerprints and other personal data from members of the public.

Jacqui Smith: The Government take data protection very seriously and keep the law on what measures are needed to strengthen the protection of personal data under continuous review.
	The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) provides a comprehensive legal framework of protection (including legal redress) for personal data, including fingerprints and other personal data. The DPA applies to all organisations that handle information about people, in both the public and private sectors. Therefore, it would be a matter for private companies, including airport operators, to satisfy themselves that they are acting in accordance with the DPA and other relevant legislation, including the Human Rights Act.

Construction

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many construction industry businesses there were in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) the UK in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: Estimates of the total number of construction businesses in the North East and UK are published by BERR. These data are shown in the following table, for each year that data are available from 1997 to 2006. Regional data are available for 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2005. Data for 2007 will be published in July 2008.
	
		
			  Table 1: Total number of construction businesses, start of year calendar year 
			   North East  UK 
			 1997 n/a 829,065 
			 1998 21,215 728,705 
			 1999 14,870 683,530 
			 2000 n/a 678,515 
			 2001 11,635 691,800 
			 2002 n/a 733,610 
			 2003 20,470 792,050 
			 2004 n/a 862,515 
			 2005 23,680 923,770 
			 2006 n/a 920,780 
			  Source:   Small and Medium Enterprise Statistics for the UK and Regions 1997 to 2006, available at: http://stats.berr.gov.uk/ed/sme 
		
	
	The number of construction businesses in the UK rose by 91,715 (11 per cent.) between 1997 and 2006. The number of construction businesses in the North East rose by 2,465 (12 per cent.) between 1998 and 2005.
	Below regional level the only data available are that on the number of VAT registered construction businesses, which are published by BERR. These data are shown in the following table for Jarrow constituency, South Tyneside local authority, the North East Government Office Region and the UK. Data for 2008 will be published in November 2008.
	
		
			  Table 2: VAT registered construction businesses, start of calendar year 
			   Jarrow constituency( 1)  South Tyneside  North East  UK 
			 1997 95 170 4,570 177,510 
			 1998 95 170 4,585 180,410 
			 1999 95 175 4,605 183,570 
			 2000 95 175 4,675 186,240 
			 2001 95 180 4,755 189,830 
			 2002 105 190 4,835 194,155 
			 2003 100 195 4,945 199,100 
			 2004 100 200 5,235 206,580 
			 2005 105 215 5,520 213,495 
			 2006 115 240 5,795 221,330 
			 2007 125 255 6,040 228,770 
			 (1) Data for Jarrow Constituency come from special analysis of the Inter Departmental Business Register.   Source:   Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994-2006, available at: http://stats.berr.gov.uk/ed/vat 
		
	
	VAT registrations do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which was £60,000 at the start of 2006. Only 221,000 out of 921,000 UK construction enterprises (24 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2006.

Energy: Fees and Charges

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what steps the Government is taking to assist pensioners and vulnerable adults with rising energy costs;
	(2)  what steps the Government is taking to work with energy companies to minimise the effects of rising fuel bills for low income families, pensioners and vulnerable adults;
	(3)  what steps the Government plans to take to minimise further rises in energy costs.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 30 April 2008
	 We are concerned about the impact of higher prices on vulnerable people and we continue to encourage energy suppliers to adopt initiatives to restrict price rises for the most vulnerable.
	In Budget 2008, the Government said they would like to see the amount energy suppliers spend on social programmes increase to at least £150 million a year over the period ahead. A new voluntary agreement has recently been signed individually with the six major energy suppliers to treble their individual investment on social programmes in the next three years, reaching collective investment of £150 million by 2010-11. This will take spend to £100 million in 2008-09, £125 million in 2009-10 and £150million in 2010-11.
	In addition, winter fuel payments helped keep 11.7 million people warm in winter 2006-07 and Budget 2008 announced an additional one-off payment of £100 to over-80s households and £50 to over-60s households in 2008-09.
	The Government do not interfere in commercial pricing decisions in the energy supply markets which are competitive markets. Ofgem's analysis suggests that recent energy price rises are due mainly to global demand for fossil fuels pushing up wholesale prices. The UK gas market is increasingly influenced by continental gas markets and the Government are supporting the European Commission's efforts to improve competition in those markets.
	Increased gas storage can help to protect the UK gas market from price shocks. The Government are taking steps to improve and streamline the regulatory regimes for constructing gas storage facilities through the Planning and Energy Bills, now before Parliament.

Fuel Poverty

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 7 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1447W, on fuel poverty, when he expects  (a) fuel poverty figures for 2006 and  (b) updated regional fuel poverty figures to be published.

Malcolm Wicks: Fuel poverty figures for 2006 will be available in the sixth annual fuel poverty strategy progress report later this year. Data used to estimate numbers of fuel poor households is derived from the annual English House Conditions Survey (EHCS). Regional figures (at Government office region level) will be published in an annex of detailed tables accompanying the 2006 report.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people in Warrington North constituency have had coal health claims settled since the scheme was introduced; and how much has been paid out to them.

Malcolm Wicks: Since the coal health compensation schemes were introduced the following number of claims have been registered and settled in the Warrington North constituency for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and vibration white finger (VWF) as at 31 March 2008:
	 COPD
	Total claims registered: 294
	Total settlements (all categories): 259
	Total damages: £901,550
	 VWF
	Total claims registered: 62
	Total settlements (all categories): 60
	Total damages: £654,027

Small Businesses: Beer

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what support his Department makes available to micro-breweries, with specific reference to  (a) new businesses and  (b) social enterprises.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform does not have any specific measures to address the needs of Micro-Breweries. However, Business Link has been created to act as the primary channel for all businesses providing them with access to the help and support they need to start and develop their business. The service provides business with information, helps diagnose their needs and then identifies and connects them to appropriate public and private sector solutions.
	Businesses can access the service in a number of ways. The national website http://wwvv.businesslink.gov.uk, provides a wealth of information and tools designed for all types of business. This is supported by a network of advisers across England managed by the Regional Development Agencies but delivered locally. Advisers offer a mix of "light touch" and in-depth support services tailored to meet the specific needs of individual businesses. Access to these face-to-face services can be obtained by calling the national helpline on 0845 6009006.
	Responsibility for Social Enterprises now rests with the Office of the Third Sector (OTS). Officials in BERR, OTS and the Regional Development Agencies are working together to ensure organisations delivering Business Link services are aware of the needs of Social Enterprises and can identify suitable solutions specifically designed to meet their needs.
	In addition, on 12 March, Government published a renewed enterprise strategy which aims to make the UK the most enterprising economy in the world and the best place to start and grow a business. The strategy contains a number of measures to help small businesses, such as Micro-Breweries, to grow. These include measures to reduce regulatory burdens, for example by considering exempting small firms from new regulations, and measures to help businesses to access the finance they need to grow, for example the strengthening of the small firms loan guarantee scheme, which is available to businesses regardless of sector. The strategy is available at
	www.berr.gov.uk/enterprisestrategy.